September 22, 2014

Highlighted Year: Jim Arnold, 1987

Punter, Detroit
Lions

Age: 26

5th
season in pro football, 2nd with Lions

College: Vanderbilt

Height: 6’3” Weight: 211

Prelude:

Arnold was a
four-time All-Southeastern Conference choice in college as well as consensus
All-American as a senior in 1982. He was chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in
the fifth round of the ‘83 NFL draft and led the league with a 44.9 average in 1984
and received second-team All-NFL honors from the Associated Press. A lesser
performance in 1985 set the stage for his release prior to the ’86 season and
he was picked up by Detroit for the last seven games, averaging 42.6 yards on 36
punts.

1987 Season Summary

Appeared in 11
of 15 games

[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Punting

Punts – 46

Most punts,
game – 6 vs. Green Bay 10/25, at Chicago 11/22

Yards – 2007
[20]

Average – 43.6
[2]

Best average,
game – 52.7 (on 3 punts) vs. LA Rams 12/6

Punts blocked
– 0

Longest punt
– 60 yards

Awards &
Honors:

1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News

1st
team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly

Pro Bowl

Lions went 4-11
to finish fifth in the NFC Central in the strike-affected season.

Aftermath:

Arnold followed
up with another Pro Bowl year in 1988 after punting a team-record 97 times for
a 42.4-yard average, which topped the NFC. He ended up playing a total of eight
years for the Lions and set a franchise career record with 536 punts, averaging
42.7 yards per kick. He played for the Miami Dolphins in 1994 before retiring.
Overall, he punted 866 times over 12 seasons for a 42.3-yard average with five
blocked. He was named to the Pro Bowl twice and received first- or second-team
All-NFL honors on three occasions.

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Highlighted Years features players who were first-team
All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following
statistical categories: